A New Childhood
by Grekkikay
Summary: Why, Sasuke-nii? Why do they hate me so much?" Naruto was always the scapegoat of many insults by those that did not understand him. Luckily, he still had one friend... Sasuke. NONYAOI Rated T for cursing and violence.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto. Nor will I ever. That right belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

**Author's Note: **I am well aware of my other two Naruto fan fictions sitting there. Rest assured I am working on Walking Backward, and it will be my priority after I get a few chapters down of A New Childhood. One Character, Another Story is currently on hiatus. Sorry. I will update all of these as soon as I can.

Anyway, some sort of explanation – this fan fiction actually came about from an idea I had at school which I gained from other fan fictions (thanks to those fan fictions and oneshots, by the way) and the idea was to change the relationship between two characters, and see what happens. Whose relationship am I changing? Why, none other than Sasuke's and Naruto's! This chapter is quite short. I didn't have many ideas. Oh, and Naruto and Sasuke are eight years old here, but you should see that later anyway. Oh, and also, "nii-san" means "brother-san", basically. And san is an honorific. Which, from there, one can assume "nii" means "brother". And then, nii is actually a smaller version of onii. Arigatou also means thanks. So that's just to tell you. And of course, Jinchuuriki is obviously somebody with a demon sealed inside them! Enjoy, R&R. :3

_I'd rather be dead!_

Naruto ran and ran. He ran so much that his feet ached like fiery hell. He didn't want to be swallowed up by the shadows cast by the endless insults he received. He didn't want to be beaten up by those demons of people. But he had to come back here, to help someone out. But there was a wonder on what he really was. Why was _he _their scapegoat?

_"Monster! Good for nothing! Demon! Baka!"_

Why?

His feet finally touched the edge of the forest on the outer edge of Konoha. It was his only sanctuary. Unfortunately, he always had to come back in for training and the likes, plus to help out his friend get away from it all as he had just done. And he had to face _them_. Those words, that cut like a knife. Those people, who wanted him dead. Naruto came, and someone was already waiting for him. Who knew, the eight-year-old Jinchuuriki actually had a friend.

"Hi, Naruto-niisan," the raven-haired boy greeted, walking over to his friend. "Thanks for grabbing their attention."

"Anything for you, nii-san," Naruto said in reply. The blonde sat down, his back to a tree, and looked back at his friend, whom he obviously thought as a brother.

"I wish they would leave me alone," the kid said, sitting next to Naruto, his back toward the same tree. "I mean, I know it's weird that I'm the _only Uchiha alive_, well, besides Itachi, but... it hurts, ya know?" The kid turned his hands into fists.

"Do you want me to leave you, Sasuke-nii?"

The kid, obviously named Sasuke, looked to Naruto in surprise. But the surprise wasn't from Naruto calling him a brother; they had been doing that for ages now. It was Naruto's offer to leave him. Sasuke's surprised face turned into a warm smile. "No, I don't mean you. If anyone, I want you to be with me."

"Okay," Naruto replied instantly, relaxing. "It's just, well, I don't wanna be a burden to you. I don't want to bother you, or get you upset, or..." Naruto stopped as Sasuke gazed at him oddly. "Sorry..."

"Why are you apologizing so much?" Sasuke asked. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"I... I must have," Naruto whispered, his voice starting to crack. "I mean... why..."

Sasuke put an arm over Naruto's shoulders. (A/N: Please don't take this as Yaoi. It's brotherly, remember that.) "You're the kindest guy I know, Naruto-niisan," Sasuke said respectfully. "Don't say you did anything wrong. 'Cause you didn't." It was the truth. Naruto had been the kindest to him out of all people that had ever talked to Sasuke. In a poll on the "nicest person ever", if Naruto was an option, Sasuke would pick. If he wasn't, he would pick "other". And if there wasn't an other, he would take it up to the author.

"Th-then..." Finally, something happened with Naruto that he didn't expect. Naruto openly sobbed, like Sasuke had done many times. "Why, Sasuke-nii!? Why do they hate me so much!?" All the things that the villagers had said to him came crashing down into his head. _Why? _Why was he hated more than anyone else in this village? Even Sasuke was more popular than him, and Sasuke did nothing to gain it. Plus, he was only popular to the freaking _fangirls_. Stupid _fangirls_.

Sasuke certainly was shocked. For a while, Naruto was strong – he took it and took it, and he never cried. Now, here he was, right in front of Sasuke, openly crying. Sasuke knew, he was more fortunate than his brotherly-like friend. Nobody hated him, except for Itachi, of course. While everyone, except for Sasuke himself, hated Naruto. Sasuke pulled Naruto into a hug. (A/N: Once again, no Yaoi. I don't support the pairing.) "I don't know, Naruto-nii... I don't know."

Naruto cried into Sasuke's shoulder. Sasuke was probably the only person he would cry in front of. He didn't trust anyone else nearly enough. "I'm just their scapegoat! A... a..." Naruto gasped and shuddered before continuing. "... a monster."

Comfort, at this point, was Sasuke's strong point, especially since his heart went out to Naruto. "You're no monster," Sasuke said soothingly and evenly. "And I'm always here for you... always."

"Arigatou, Sasuke-nii," Naruto whispered in a raspy voice, which was muffled by Sasuke's shirt. Despite that, however, Sasuke heard him.

"No problem, my misunderstood friend."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **Do I have to put this on every chapter!? (You: Yes.) Gosh darn it! Fine... NarutobelongstoMasashiKishimotoIdonotownitnowgoaway. :3

**Author's Note: **Yes, I actually started Chapter 2 on the same day as the first chapter. :3 R&R, my friends, R&R. :D In this chapter, they're all 12... just like the regular series.

**Translations: **You should know what nii means by now. Nani means what. Chikusho means damn it (similar to Kuso, its shorter version).

--

_He was going to become a Genin!_

He wouldn't fail again. Ever. Two failures was enough!

"Naruto, this is all your fault!" A hiss came from a girl dressed in pink, with long, pink hair. It was kind of true, a punishment from Iruka for Naruto's idiocy. Everyone, even if they already passed, had to take the test all over again. Naruto only failed mostly because he simply loved to joke around, but there were a few jutsu that he was still a bit shaky in. And the one he was most shaky in...

"All right, so now, we will be doing the Bunshin no Jutsu," Iruka told them all.

... was that one. _Shit, _Naruto thought angrily. He _hated _the Bunshin no Jutsu. It was the jutsu that was most prominently his worst. It was holding him back more than any other jutsu. Stomping his foot angrily on the ground, he waited as people were called to the front to do their jobs in this supposedly "easy" jutsu.

"Next up, Uchiha Sasuke."

The boy stepped up from the line, a smirk on his face. The famous, Uchiha smirk. All of his family was with a cool attitude, but part of his attitude was influenced from the days with Naruto as a young one. "Hai," he said calmly. He then took a stance, making the correct hand seals, quickly and easily, making everyone look like jokes with how freaking _easy _he could do this stupid jutsu. "Bunshin no Jutsu!" Around him appeared three clones, each of them looking fully alive, except for the fact that there was nothing in them. "Tah-dah," he added, a show-off at best.

"Excellent, Uchiha Sasuke," Iruka said, nodding approvingly. Naruto scowled. Why didn't Iruka nod at _him_ for once!? Just because he joked around, _doesn't _mean he didn't try. "You may take a seat."

Sasuke looked happy that he had been approved. _Ha, beat _that_, Naruto-niisan, _he mocked in his mind. The two of them were rivals, after all. No doubt in his mind, he would beat that little dobe in everything he did. He passed by Naruto, sticking out his tongue at him. "Well, Naruto? Show them how _excellent _you are, you dead last," he hissed mockingly, a teasing smirk on his face. Naruto grumbled in reply.

"Aw, shut up, Sasuke," he snorted. "You big, stupid show-off, teme!"

The pink girl looked at Sasuke, flitting her eyes happily, trying to flirt with him. _Omigosh, it's _Sasuke-kun_! _the girl thought. See, she had a big crush on this guy. And she certainly wouldn't let it go. The girl with the largest forehead. Ha, everyone loved Sasuke. Grumble, grumble.

"Okay, Uzumaki Naruto! You are next."

Naruto stepped forward obediently, looking at Iruka with an innocent grin. The sensei rolled his eyes. Naruto expected this. Naruto looked to Sasuke who was overseeing him. _I'll show _you_, Sasuke. I can do this thing. _Naruto took a deep breath, and found himself gulping. _I hope. _He absolutely _hated _the Bunshin no Jutsu, because he absolutely _sucked _at it. It probably wasn't the reason he failed, though; he failed previous tests mostly because he goofed off way too much. But this time, he was super serious. Because he finally wanted to pass. He was tired of being shown up by all the lame Academy Students. He took a deep breath, gathering a bunch of chakra, which in turn circled around him and above him in neat little strands above him and around his feet. He was gathering quite a lot of chakra, and little did he know, just that little amount was probably half that of the senseis. "Bunshin no Jutsu!" But this time didn't feel like a winner, as finally a puff of smoke came up. Naruto looked around in the smoke, and then took a deep breath...

There, lying on the ground, was a freaking _dead clone_. It was freaking _useless_.

Sasuke burst out laughing at this one. What a joke Naruto was! A _dead clone_, now? That thing looked like it couldn't fool even the best of 'em. Ooh, sure, nobody would be able to tell that thing from the real Naruto. That was really laughable. "That must be how you look on a bad day, dobe," Sasuke said mockingly.

This was only fuel for a troll.

The whole classroom echoed with laughter as they stared at the pathetic thing. The thing was just lying on the ground, worthless and dead. Ha, nothing could amount to it.

"Naruto, you're _such _a _baka_!" was the first thing the pink-haired girl said as soon as she managed to gather her wits about her after laughing so freaking hard.

Naruto stared at the clone. _Oh God, no. _He couldn't fail _again! _He wanted to become _Hokage! _Why, oh why, did he have to freaking _fail _at a time like this!? He tried to hide his inner feelings, laughing with the crowd. "Hahaha, yeah." But deep down, he was freaking out. This was absolutely pathetic. Did Naruto really amount to so little?

"Naruto, you _fail_, again!" Iruka shouted. Naruto fell over at all his shouting.

"Hey, wait." That voice. Naruto had heard it before. He straightened up, peering at a silver-haired man. Mizuki-sensei? Why was _he _suddenly standing up for him?

"What?" Iruka asked in reply, staring at Mizuki. It was rude to interrupt a class like that.

"He _did _manage to make a clone," Mizuki told Iruka, in thought. "Dead, but a _clone _nonetheless. Can't you at least pass him?"

_Oh sure, pass the dobe, _Sasuke thought. _That little jokester is going to ruin the ways of the shinobi. What with this little joke with the Bunshin and all... geez. Man, why would he joke about _this_? _Sasuke realized something. This was Naruto's third time trying this little Academy display. And he still failed. Wasn't it a bit odd that Naruto joked around a _third _time, when he wanted so badly to become Hokage and get recognized? Sasuke knew about his dreams, about all the things he chased after. He had told him when they were young. Something was odd, here...

"Yes, he did make a clone," Iruka commented. Naruto brightened, but certainly came right back down with what Iruka said next. "However, this clone is dead. It wouldn't fool anybody. Plus, the test was to make three perfect clones. Naruto made _half of one_."

_Half of one? Oh God, ouch, _Sasuke thought, wincing at that. That was certainly a big bite in the ass for Naruto. It was mocking something that Naruto did, just as Sasuke had been doing only moments ago... Sasuke's eyes turned right back to Naruto, Iruka, and Mizuki, but his eyes instantly centered on Mizuki when he saw his eyes... Was that sympathy in there?... But he also noticed something else flash in there. Sasuke couldn't catch it fast enough to know what it was.

"_No_, not again!" Naruto cried. Sasuke's eyes widened as he realized that this cry was truly out of despair. Did he really, honestly...? And then what made it worse was that everyone burst out laughing at Naruto, roaring hysterically as Naruto had failed a _third _time.

"Now, everyone may leave," said Iruka in a dismissing manner. "And everyone, except for Naruto, passes."

A roar came from the crowd once again, and finally, they stormed outside of the door. Sasuke, Naruto, Iruka, and Mizuki were the only ones left in the room. Finally, Mizuki decided his business was done here. He had a very sympathetic, sad look in his face; however, when Sasuke watched him walk out the door, he could've sworn that Mizuki's eyes glinted with mischief and he had an evil grin. But maybe that was just his imagination.

Iruka slammed his hands on the table, staring at Naruto grimly. "Naruto, why do you do that?" he asked, incredulously. This had been Naruto's _third _time failing. When was he going to get serious?

"Do what?" Naruto asked. Sasuke felt even more odd when he felt genuine confusion coming from the blonde.

"That _joking_," Iruka snarled, apparently not feeling any sympathy for Naruto's situation. And he certainly wasn't going to start feeling sympathetic; Naruto deserved the failing... That goofing off numbskull... "Do you realize this is the third time you have failed, Naruto? When are you going to actually take this seriously? Do you even want to pass?"

Naruto darted his eyes away, looking to the ground. He suddenly found the ground to the right of him quite interesting. "I wasn't joking around this time, Iruka-sensei."

That's when it hit him. Finally, Sasuke knew the truth. First, this was his third time failing. Something was up. Second, Naruto was aiming to become Hokage. And third, Naruto said he'd beat Sasuke this time, and he actually sounded sincere. Now Sasuke knew, and he cringed. Poor Naruto... He failed at the Bunshin no Jutsu, one of the most important jutsu. This certainly landed as a ton of freaking bricks.

"_NANI!?_" Iruka said incredulously. "So this time, you failed _honestly_!? Wow... you're the worst wannabe-ninja _ever_!"

This probably was just like slapping Naruto right in the face.

Pride broken early, Naruto's head hung and he walked out of the room, knowing that obviously, he was no longer welcome in it. Sasuke watched him as he walked, dejected, outside of the room, keeping from looking at anyone. And then Sasuke watched him further as he walked outside the room, a painful, slow walk, toward a lonely swing that swayed gently in the breeze. The sunset that was cast in the air was causing quite a beautiful sight, and mixed with Naruto's depressed attitude, made Sasuke feel like he was in a drama fiction. (A/N: ... Sasuke, stop being clever.) Sasuke followed him, but stopped not that far away from the building he had just come from, like as if there was some invisible barrier. Sasuke looked around at all the happy families, praising their kids for doing such a good job.

_"You know, you're going to get quite a handsome dinner tonight when you get home!"_

_"I'm _so _proud of you! Amazing, simply amazing, really."_

_"You'll be a great shinobi!"_

_"I love you!"_

Sasuke sighed. What he wouldn't give for a family that would congratulate him for doing so well. He didn't care even if it was Itachi; he had no avenging blood in him. He couldn't see it. After all, he didn't know all the facts as to _why _Itachi killed the family. Sure Sasuke hated him and grudged him for that; but he wasn't aiming to kill him. It just wasn't his dream. And it probably would have been, had he not met Naruto. But now, he had a different dream. A dream to protect those he holds dear now. Because, he already lost everything once; he didn't want to lose everything all over again.

Naruto climbed onto the lonely swing, that was swaying with the slight breeze Naruto felt. He took off his goggles. He didn't care for them anymore. He stared in the distance, his light blue eyes containing only sadness, not the usual joking that they carried every day. He didn't bother to swing on the swing. He only grabbed the chain, and leaned his head against it, his forehead touching the chain. His feet dangled on either side of the swing, not kicking out to start the swing. He didn't care. Like him, the swing was a lonely thing. Guess lonely things must join together, ne?

Approaching Naruto slowly were a few kids, the pink-haired girl at the lead. Naruto thought he could retch. _Oh boy, them again. Dammit. _He didn't even look at them. He just knew who they were, because he could always tell these sort of things. They all hated him, they did. And he knew all their names, but he didn't even bother say them. Because why would it matter, if every time he spoke, he would be silenced with another jeer from these people?

"Ha, Naruto, you baka," one of the girls jeered, sneering. "Well, you failed again, didn't you? Useless. That's all you'll ever be, dead last."

Naruto winced. That was exactly the jeer that Sasuke told him not too long ago. Could it be that he...?

"You'll never amount to people like Sasuke-kun," continued the girls, this time by the pink-haired one. "Admit it. You're jealous of him. And seriously, everyone is. How hard you train? I'm pretty sure it's only like... what?... five minutes."

The girls burst out laughing. Naruto felt sick.

"Go away, Sakura," he snorted, still not looking at them. Why should he look at that ugly girl, anyway? He hated her, just as much as Sasuke did.

The thing that Naruto said caught Sasuke's ears, and, stopping his gazing at the wild families that seemed so cheerful and chipper, Sasuke looked toward Naruto on the lonely swing, the swing that Sasuke found to always be empty besides Naruto. He saw all the other girls: Sakura's band. Sasuke hated Sakura more than any other girl. He hated fangirls, yes, but Sakura was the most annoying of them all.

"Hey, don't talk to me like that just because you are a loser," Sakura snorted back, turning her back to the wannabe-ninja. "You'll never amount to anything, you baka. Nobody likes you. Face it now."

Sasuke wanted to punch that girl in the face, but he had a strict rule of not hitting girls. Nonetheless, he approached Sakura and her gang, wanting to help Naruto out a bit. He walked over to him, looking at Naruto's sad sky blue orbs of eyes. Sasuke never thought he would see them sad again, not since that day when they were eight. When Naruto cried for the very first time, or at least, the first time as Sasuke could see him...

"Omigosh, it's _Sasuke-kun_!" Sakura squealed immediately as Sasuke came into vision. Sasuke let out a grumble in reply. "See, look at him, Naruto. He's amazing. Totally unlike you."

Naruto simply sighed sadly in reply. Just like that day when they were eight, Sasuke's heart went out to the poor little boy.

"Ah, Sakura," Sasuke said. "Shouldn't you be training? Since you're a Genin now. You want to become strong, right?" He knew better than to insult Sakura. He hated her, yes; but insulting her was the wrong way to go. He didn't want the reputation that people started to identify him with: Emo. He certainly hid his emotions well, he had to admit; that must've been what triggered it. But yelling certainly wouldn't make the reputation heal itself.

Sakura was a suck-up, as she _always _took Sasuke's advice. "Ah, yeah, Sasuke-kun!" she agreed, nodding her head vigorously with the other girls that were with her. "I must train!" _I need to impress you, _she added silently in her mind. Hand in hand with some other girls, she walked away triumphantly. She would gain his affections... yes she would. He was here now! With them! As a true Genin!

Once Sakura and her gang were safely out of hearing distance, Sasuke sat down nearby the swing, watching Naruto stare sadly at the Academy. He knew exactly what was on his mind. It certainly wasn't Sakura; he knew he would easily brush off Sakura. It was those damn voices, the voices of the people that were congratulating people that had finally passed. Those voices bothered Sasuke too, but Sasuke was pretty sure it bothered Naruto more than anyone else. Sasuke was simply bothered by it since he had no one to congratulate him; Naruto had it... because he failed. He had Sasuke to congratulate him, and even if he did have more people, he still failed.

"So, _huh_, Naruto," Sasuke said simply. The two of them really never had a deep, involving conversation in a while. Naruto was tough like that.

"Yep, they're at it again," Naruto replied. His voice was rather flat and dull. "Dammit, Sakura, you're bothersome."

"Yeah, but that isn't what you have on your mind, is it?" Sasuke walked to Naruto's side, and then finally right in front of his path of vision, looking down into Naruto's depressed sky blue eyes. "Well?"

Naruto finally put in some effort to look at Sasuke, moving his eyes upward to look into Sasuke's almost black ones. "You read me like a book, nii-san."

It had been a while since they had referred to each other as brothers, so the "nii" part of Naruto's sentence had been quite the surprise. "So you remember." Sasuke remembered quite well that they had been calling each other brothers when they were very young; nonetheless, it was still quite a surprise to be called that again. He didn't think Naruto would remember, but now Sasuke thought that previous thought ridiculous. After all, Naruto and Sasuke were both all alone; they would cling to any friendship they had, and keep it in their hearts as long as they possibly could. "You are so weak, dead last." Naruto was obviously not offended by the last comment. He knew it was a joke.

"Of course I remember," Naruto replied as if he was stating the obvious. "How couldn't I?" And for a while, silence dawned on them, well, besides the distant crowd of people that were cheerfully congratulating each other. Naruto's thoughts were still on his performance today, and Sasuke obviously knew that as well. Finally, he gave a sigh, and looked directly back at Sasuke. "Why, Sasuke-nii? Why did I fail...?"

Ah, the memories came washing back, and when they did, they came aplenty. Sasuke remembered Naruto saying something quite similar in sound to the something he just said now. _"Why Sasuke-nii!? Why do they hate me so much!?" _Sasuke seemed a bit naive in his part, where he knew nothing about the answer to either questions. He had always wondered himself, but not in a making fun of way; in a sort of sympathetic way. He just _had _to poke his nose into everyone's business, as they had said. "They", as in his family, before they were killed by Itachi. And, as ironic as this sounds, he had now said the exact same thing he had said not more than four years ago: "I don't know, Naruto-nii... I don't know."

Silence seemed to be their best friend at the moment, as they fell silent once again. Sasuke, feeling nervous with all the silence, finally interrupted it again. Ordinarily, he liked silence; but silence when he was talking to _Naruto_, _the _hyperactive Naruto, it seemed very unnerving. "But, just as I had said before, I am always here for you." Sasuke turned around. He needed to go. It was getting late. "I'm going to be going, now. I'll see you, Naruto."

"Yeah, probably _never_," Naruto said bitterly. Sasuke winced. "I'll never get up to your level. By the way, congratulations for passing... again." Sasuke certainly felt for Naruto, especially from these words, but what could he do? Finally, after hearing that Naruto wasn't saying anything more, he continued in the way of his house, which the caregivers managed whenever he was gone. "Oh, and by the way..." Sasuke stopped at this, listening to Naruto. "Arigatou."

--

When Sasuke had left for home, probably out on another stroll, as he always had a stroll at this time of day, Naruto still stayed on the swing. He wasn't ready to go back to his empty apartment. But when he was, he would probably flop down on it. The sun was close to completely set. Naruto overheard a conversation between two people:

_"So, it looks like he didn't pass."_

_"Serves him right. We don't want _that _as a shinobi."_

_"Right. It would only cause trouble."_

Why did they talk about him like that? And what were they referring to when they said _that_? Naruto was so confused. But then, you'd expect an idiot like him to always be confused. But this time, he was genuinely confused; perplexed, even. _Why do they talk about me, like as if they know me? _Naruto asked himself. He decided not to answer his own question, knowing it'd only get him into trouble.

"Hi there."

Have you ever been spoken to someone who had just happened to _sneak up at you_, and you almost felt like screaming as you fell, and stopped whatever the hell you were doing? That was exactly what Naruto did. Almost yelling, he stumbled out of the swing, and the swing battered him on the head, probably saying to him in its own way, _**"Goddammit, Naruto, don't leave me hangin'." **_Not like it could really talk.

"Chikusho, Mizuki-sensei!" Naruto hissed as he stood back up, the swing hitting him right in the stomach. He moved away from the treacherous swing, and looked at the silver-haired sensei with his sky blue eyes, annoyance quickly masking the sadness they had in them earlier. "Why the _hell _did you sneak up on me like that?!" He glared at the sensei, gritting his teeth angrily.

"Oh, well you looked depressed, so I was curious," Mizuki said gently. That quickly silenced Naruto, and he stared at Mizuki in confusion. Mizuki quickly interrupted the awkward pause that went in between them. "Come now, don't look so surprised. Come on, I know a good view of the sunset. I'd like to tell you something." With that, Mizuki quickly disappeared, but not without leaving a trail for Naruto to follow. Naruto was baffled. Why did Mizuki want him?

Well, that only left Naruto to follow him. So he did. Not knowing what was going to happen next...


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto. Ugh, this is getting so _repetitive_. I sound like a freaking _broken record!_

**Author's Note: **Hey, long time, no see, eh? _(gets a bunch of erasers thrown at her and only barely dodges them) _Gosh darn it, that's a great welcome, ain't it? Look, I _know _I'm posting too many chapters near to each other in date, but seriously, I'm just freaking _flooding _with ideas for this fan fiction! I never had that before!

Oh, and also, you may have noticed recently that I'm putting much more translations, even for things that only showed up in the previous chapters. When it says, "you should know what this means by now", that's an indication that you should check back on previous translations. If I get enough requests, however, I'll translate every word that shows up in every chapter, every chapter. Please note, though, that such a decision will make the translations section longer, and thus, make the story shorter. (I go to a maximum 15 pages, minimum 4 pages except for short chapters, for this fan fiction. Thus, you're able to expect how much content I'll put in it.)

**Spoilers: (please don't read until you have finished the chapter!!) **Ooh, plot twist! You may notice that I have changed the story a little... hehe. Wait 'till you see it's a _major _change! HAHAHA! So... who is this Kyuubeta? You'll find out later in the story... hehe. I bet you're all waiting in suspense. I'll give you a hint – it _isn't _related to the Akatsuki, and yet the two groups are affiliated with each other. Hemmm... :3

**Translations: **Gomen nasai means "sorry". Kyuubi means "Nine-Tailed Fox". You should know what "nii" means by now. Kuso is a short version of chikusho, and I assume you already know what that means. Teme means "you", but it's said in a rude manner, and said to cause trouble; thusly, it's an insult. As you _should _know, dobe is just plain an insult. "-kun" is an honorific that is used either between boys, or by girls that like those boys. You should know what "arigatou" means by now. You should know what Jinchuuriki means by now. Seppuku means "suicide". Kyuubeta is a group specific to this story, which is a play on the words "Kyuubi" and "beta". Bakemono means "monster".

--

_"It's a freaking suicide mission!" _

The leader was tired of all the crap that all his stupid followers kept making up about how freaking _hard _it was just to get one little Jinchuuriki. Needless to say, his patience was getting a little... ya know... thin? I think that's what they call it.

"It's like asking you all to commit seppuku," the leader snarled. All of the people under the leader snapped to attention, looking up to their leader speechlessly. It was obvious he was angry now, and they hated getting their leader in a foul mood. Getting him a foul mood was like dangling a chew toy in front of the Kyuubi while he was running angrily all amongst Konoha, saying, _"Here kitty, kitty, kitty!" _It simply couldn't be done without _someone _getting their spine taken out of their skin with a vicious claw. "Damn cowards. If you won't do _one _simple job for me, you aren't worth _fucking anything_."

The word "fucking" was a big clue that the leader was not happy. The followers gently shoved among the youngest of them forward, to tell them of the progress that they had. "Ah, well, we sent gray-hair out," the little guy said nervously. But though he was young, he was still an adult, and he still could be quite intimidating. However, this wasn't his place to be intimidating, especially in front of the leader, who could easily just snup out that little skull of his and then beat it repetitively with a stick. "He... he was intent on killing the boy."

The leader narrowed his eyes for a second, staring at his little subject. The subject stared back, feeling nervousness and the scent of death creep up his spine as he sniffed the leader's breath. The leader obviously was _not _one to brush his teeth, and if he did, he obviously did _not _care about how his breath freaking _stunk_. "_Kuso_, you fucking incompetent..." The leader turned around, obviously in a fit of rage at how freaking _useless _these people were. Finally, he spoke up again, this time continuing his sentence from where it had ended. "... Asshole, you should have stopped him from that. He's _not _allowed to kill the boy. We need him." The leader paced back and forth, obviously not happy.

Suddenly, a taller, giddy girl rose up next to the younger person, who appeared to be her little brother. "Hey, nii-san has given me a bit of an idea," the girl told daringly, not taking her eyes off of the leader. She was one of the few people who actually didn't fear the leader of the group.

The leader turned around abruptly, looking down at the girl with pure red eyes. "Ah, so you do, little missy?" he snapped, but the effect desired wasn't initiated from the girl. She only smirked. The leader backed down immediately, and couldn't help chuckling at how daring this girl had become. I guess it was because she had been raised by far worse. "Okay then. What is it?"

"Well, gray-hair is actually contributing to it already," the girl said, giggling.

"I see. So it isn't a _total _loss... Heh. I always thought you were competent, second-in-command. Now tell me, what is it that you plan? We will get that Jinchuuriki... I swear it."

--

"So, what were you going to talk about with me, anyway?"

Naruto and Mizuki were crouched on the roof of someone's house, staring at the sunset. The sun let out many different colors of rays of light in protest to having to leave the sky and be replaced with the stars and the moon. These colors seemed to grip onto the clouds, circling themselves around them like ropes. Naruto's head turned to glance at Mizuki, sky blue eyes instantly filling with curiosity.

"Well, about Iruka," Mizuki said gently, his eyes filled with warmth. "Must seem harsh because he didn't pass you, ne?" Mizuki certainly hit the mark, because he heard Naruto growl angrily.

"Why does he always pick on me!?" Naruto asked out of spite. It always seemed like he picked on him. He certainly failed him many a number of times. And don't go saying three is a small number; in this case, it's one of the larger numbers, like those three-digit ones.

"Oh, Naruto, he's not picking on you," Mizuki told him gently.

"He isn't?"

"No, he isn't." Mizuki looked amongst the pretty colors of the sunset. "You see, he's an orphan, too. He just wants you to be strong, Naruto."

Naruto blinked in confusion. "Well, I can't get stronger by _failing _so much," Naruto hissed crossly, looking back at the sky. It was already starting to turn dark blue, and the moon was already climbing to the top of the sky. The faint twinkle of stars was barely visible amongst the orange-pink already in the sky. "If he wanted me to be stronger, wouldn't he _pass _me?"

"You're really round up on that." Mizuki chuckled warmly, although Naruto could've sworn he heard a hint of exasperation in his voice. _Man, this Jinchuuriki talks, _he thought, annoyed. "But ya know, I know a little secret that could make you pass much more quickly... If you're up to it, that is."

Mizuki grinned inwardly when he was rewarded with an excited shout, courtesy of none other than Uzumaki Naruto. "Tell me! Tell me! I really wanna pass... _please_!"

_So... he's finally fallen for it..._

--

If Sasuke ever overdid his strolls, he certainly did so now. He walked slowly through the forest, unaware of the night that was closing in and threatened to swallow up the forest. It was a peaceful stroll, though, and it certainly was a great way to avoid the nagging questions that the citizens of Konoha undoubtedly had. Of anyone, the only person he ever told of his family's slaughter was Naruto, and he trusted him enough not to blab about it. So far, Naruto kept his trust; he hadn't told a soul.

Suddenly, a ruffle in nearby bushes snapped Sasuke into focus. He now noticed how unmistakably dark it was. He looked around warily, feeling a shiver run down his spine. _Kuso, I've been out here too long, _Sasuke thought. _But... I _have _to check out what made that noise! _Typical of Sasuke, since the scenery now drew his attention, he needed to know _everything _about it, including those details that he'd probably end up regretting ever knowing.

Crouching near a bush that he assumed was close to the origins of the noise, Sasuke peered above the bush, and as soon as he did, he was snapped into surprise. There, not more than a few meters away from where he was hiding, was Naruto, holding a secret scroll that Sasuke could only assume Genins weren't allowed to have. _Dammit, Naruto! _Sasuke thought sadly. _I know you're desperate but... you _really _shouldn't do that._

Another rustle made Sasuke more nervous, especially since this rustle was nearer to him. Careful not to be discovered, he shifted to another bush, hiding nearby a tree, watching, waiting. Who to come now in his eyes but Iruka, who seemed completely unaware of Sasuke's presence. The only thing Iruka spotted was Naruto, holding that odd scroll.

"Naruto! There you are!" Sasuke winced. Iruka's voice sounded _anything _but friendly. "What are you doing!?"

"Oh, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto called cheerfully, looking at Iruka with innocent eyes. Sasuke was baffled. Why did it seem that Naruto thought he was doing something right for a change when he obviously stole a secret scroll? "I read from this scroll --" he showed the scroll with no hint of guilty vibes -- "so now, I think I'm perfectly ready to pass the Genin exams!"

"What!? Who told you that!?"

"Mizuki-sensei did!"

Sasuke felt cold now. _Mizuki!? _That traitor! He knew it! He knew that Mizuki had that evil grin he saw earlier! And he certainly wasn't hallucinating when he saw that look flash on Mizuki's face! _It all made sense!_

"Great work, Naruto."

Sasuke froze. Apparently, he had been tailing Iruka. If anything, this was a _horrible _time to jump out and interrupt. Sasuke still didn't have enough information. Damn Mizuki was good at hiding secrets.

"Mizuki! What the _hell _are you planning!?" Iruka snapped, looking at the fellow Chuunin. Mizuki scowled.

"Hand over the scroll, Naruto." Mizuki's voice was sincere.

Sasuke looked over to Naruto expectantly, seeing what he'd do. Sasuke would make sure, sure as hell that Naruto wouldn't pass it over to Mizuki. That bastard was obviously planning something, and that _something _would get them all in trouble. Sasuke braced himself, just in case Naruto was to decide to give the scroll. Sometimes, Naruto was a bit more of an idiot. But, his idiocy actually seemed to win out more than become a burden for them, where Naruto just stared at the silver-haired Chuunin in confusion. "I don't get it... what's going on?" _I'm wondering that as well, _Sasuke thought as Naruto asked that question. Something was going on, and neither of them knew it. What was that little traitor Mizuki planning to do...?

"Naruto! Don't hand that scroll over to Mizuki!" Iruka shouted out to Naruto. Naruto stared at him, a completely bewildered look on his face. Sasuke felt a bit sympathetic. There was a lot for Naruto to take in, and _all he wanted was to pass the Genin exams_. "If you give that to Mizuki, something bad'll happen! Guard it with your life!" Sasuke winced. Iruka _really _shouldn't have put it that way.

And then it happened. It was hard for them _all _to take in. Sasuke, Naruto, and Iruka were shocked at the flying of kunais, courtesy of Mizuki himself. It was a motion they had not seen closely; a fling of his arm after a reach into his pocket, and then the kunais went flying, right in the direction of Naruto, with no intention of stopping. If it weren't for Iruka's quick action, with a shout of, _"Naruto!" _Sasuke highly doubted Naruto would even be _alive _anymore.

Iruka was kneeling right in front of Naruto, the kunais stuck into his chest, and around his stomach. Sasuke was shocked by the sight, knowing it absolutely _must have _hurt. And if it didn't, Iruka is _one tough _guy. I mean, seriously – a bunch of deadly weapons that looked like knives going right through your chest? Iruka was only lucky they weren't near any vital organs.

"_Dammit_, Iruka. Don't get in the way when I'm trying to _kill someone_!"

What shocked Sasuke more than the visage of Iruka was Mizuki's words. Was he actually attempting to _kill _a Konoha ninja? But then... Sasuke remembered. He said _Iruka got in the way_. So, he wasn't trying to kill Iruka. Sasuke looked right behind Iruka, right at Naruto, who was staring at Mizuki, eyes wide with shock, dumbfounded. No, Mizuki wasn't trying to kill Iruka. He had been trying to kill _Naruto_.

"Wh... what is this all about, Mizuki-sensei!?" Naruto finally managed to stutter after gaining his wits about him from the shock. Sasuke got his wits back, too, and stared at Naruto. Sasuke could've sworn he saw Naruto trembling. Was he really that afraid...?

"Don't you know, _you little monster_!?" Mizuki snapped, the coldest that anyone could possibly sound. Naruto's eyes went even wider than they did before, if that's even possible. Sasuke stared at Mizuki. _He was one of them? _"I need to _kill you_, for all the trouble that you have caused this village, and the citizens in it!"

Iruka looked to Mizuki, eyes fierce. "Don't you _dare _tell him!"

This really piqued Sasuke's curiosity, in a bad way at least. _Don't tell him what?  
_

"I don't understand..." Naruto said, his voice much quieter than usual. Sasuke knew why. He was confused out of his wits. Sasuke didn't blame him, especially in his position. Sasuke was confused enough in his own position, let alone with Naruto; he didn't know what the _hell _they were talking about when they said "little monster". It had always been a wonder, ever since Naruto was young: why people called him a monster, why everybody hated him.

"Ah, so you thought it mere coincidence that everybody _hated you_!?" Mizuki stormed, continuing on his little quest. "Well, I guess I should _tell you_. It's an S-class secret, which means we can't tell anyone – especially _you_, Naruto! Lucky for you today, I'll tell you right away. Because, ya know, it would be senseless to kill someone without that someone knowing their crime."

_S-class secret? _Sasuke seriously didn't like the sound of that. What was so secret about Naruto that Naruto shouldn't know, and that only people that are Jounin and above should know unless...?

"What secret!?" Naruto immediately blurted out. "What are they hiding from me!?"

"Let me refresh your memory."

Sasuke felt a story coming on. His undivided attention was on Mizuki, but he kept himself masked and thus, invisible to them to find.

"Twelve years ago, a nine-tailed fox had appeared, attacking Konoha. Well, as the legend goes, the Fourth Hokage sacrificed himself to kill the fox, Kyuubi."

Sasuke knew that much of the story. But how did that have anything to do with Naruto? He listened on closely, almost leaning over the bush as he tried to catch every word and absorb it into his mind. There was something about Naruto that neither of them, and dammit, Sasuke was going to find out just what that was. After all, he had always been sympathetic on Naruto for him always being teased; not only that, but he always wondered why those kids always wanted to hit him or kill him. And more so, he wondered why they called him by the name of _"monster"_.

"What foolish legends these people tell!"

Once again, Mizuki seemed to snap Sasuke out of his thoughts and then focus right back on this villainous gray-hair. _Foolish? Legends!? What does he mean!?_

"For, the Kyuubi is _not _dead."

Sasuke froze right in place. He couldn't move. The Kyuubi _wasn't _dead? That made no sense! The Kyuubi was _gone_. If it wasn't, Konoha would be in ruins; there was no reason to assume that the Kyuubi wasn't dead, was there? Sasuke looked at Naruto, who was trembling in place. It was apparent that Naruto was deathly frightened; the poor guy, he had no idea what was going on. Sasuke didn't, either, and yet... this story was more about Naruto than anyone else.

"No, the Fourth couldn't kill the beast. It was way too powerful. So he had to settle for a special jutsu... the very same jutsu that turned _you _into a _monster_, Naruto." Mizuki cackled evilly, throwing his head back crazily. It was obvious he was out of his mind, and yet... he was telling the truth. He was freaking _insane _now. "No, the Kyuubi isn't dead, for _you _are the Kyuubi, Naruto! It's sealed inside _you_! That's why everyone bullied you, for _all those years_!"

Well, this little factoid came right by like a _ton of freaking _**buildings**!

Sasuke almost fell right out of the bush from complete and utter shock. _Naruto has the Kyuubi sealed inside him!? _No wonder it was an S-class secret! Only people that had been there actually knew for sure that it had been sealed in him, Sasuke knew that for sure. Sasuke could remember, that little voice of Naruto's again... _"Why, Sasuke-nii!? Why do they hate me so much!?" _And now, all Sasuke could do was think bitterly, _Well, you got your answer now, Naruto. Happy? _Not like he was mad at Naruto or anything. It was just an utter shock... who in their right mind would seal a freaking _demon _into a young boy and make his life living _hell_!?

Naruto was practically frozen in place. And when he was able to move, it was only a tiny, slow movement of his hand, placing it in the air right in front of his face, staring directly into the palm of his hand. Finally, the trembling he had been doing earlier came back right after a few moments of staring emptily into his hand. And then, finally, after a _few more _moments, he spoke, in a very tiny voice, much to his dismay, "S-so that's why..." He tried to sound confident and not minding, like a "yeah, uh huh, no problem, I just have a _freaking nine-tailed fox demon _sealed in me, not a big deal at all" but, you obviously know how freaking _silly _that sounds, right? And, certainly, Naruto wasn't exactly the most _confident _person at the moment. _Why? Why would the Fourth do this? _"This... this is why they all made fun of me... because I have a demon inside of me...?" He didn't know what to feel about it at the moment – feel afraid, of himself or Mizuki or the demon inside of him, to feel angry, at Mizuki for telling him or at the Fourth for putting this on a little boy's shoulders, to feel disbelieving, I mean the freaking legend sounded like a _fairytale_, or to feel depressed... because now, he really _was _a monster.

"Aw, look, the little _demon _is crying," Mizuki said in a mockingly-gentle tone, laughing hysterically. This certainly was his moment. He leaped off of the tree, landing not far from the tree's base, looking at Naruto with evil eyes. "Aw, yes, he's crying, because everyone hates him, because he's a demon. Even Iruka hates him."

The _crying _thing certainly caught the attention of Iruka and Sasuke, who both whipped their heads to look at Naruto. Yes, he was _indeed _crying – tears were slowly but surely coming down his cheeks. Sasuke admired that he wasn't openly sobbing and was trying his best to keep it in. Sasuke certainly would've cried to home, even though he's known to keep his emotions all to himself. Something such as learning recently that you are a demon, and that's the reason everyone hated you – it certainly was something worth crying about. And yet, Naruto still remained strong, because after sniffing, he spoke in the most confident voice he could possibly muster.

"I... I'm not crying," he sniffed, wiping his hand self-consciously over his eyes, trying to command them to _stop_, as if he looked like a fool. "You... you demon... Mizuki-sensei..." Much to Naruto's dismay, his voice was anything but confident – it sounded more like something a little five year old would say. He was still trembling, and yet, he still tried his hardest to remain strong in this moment. "Not... not everyone hates me... you're wrong..."

"Aw, come now, who _wouldn't _hate you?" Mizuki snarled, scoffing at the kid. Stupid kid, trying to stay strong... what an idiot. He had no sympathy for Naruto; he didn't care, he was a demon, after all. He wouldn't have sympathy for _monsters _like him. "First, you killed many a family. And the people in those families that survived remembered what you did. And then, they passed this hatred onto their children. I don't think there's anyone who likes you. I'm certain Iruka hates you... right, Iruka? After all, _Kyuubi did kill your parents_."

It was overwhelming, these feelings that kept rushing into Naruto. The countless jeers of the kids and adults alike at him flashed through his mind as he was now told why those jeers came to be in the first place...

_"Monster!"_

Monster... was that what he was? He was Kyuubi's new body, like a _reincarnation _of him... Man, would he go on and on about this. He was no mere boy anymore... Maybe he was just as they said... a bakemono...

"But don't worry, my sad little friend," Mizuki chuckled menacingly, moving closer to Naruto, and then taking a rather large black star off of his back which he had been saving. "I will ease the pain for you, by _killing _you. After all, it was orders from Kyuubeta that I would be rid of you." And there it went. Another flick of the hand, another flying, sharp object that had the intention of killing, this time a star, much bigger than all the kunais combined. It flew at Naruto, spiraling. Naruto was too afraid to move.

_"Naruto!" _Iruka screamed, and, quickly, he put himself in the way, leaning over Naruto as he felt a sharp pain running down his back. Naruto and Sasuke both gasped at this sight, which obviously gave away Sasuke's cover. Naruto was suspicious, but he let it aside for now, as he was currently focused on the bloody sight of Iruka leaning over him. Iruka's blood spattered on Naruto's face, making a little pool on his whisker-like marks inherited from none other than the Kyuubi itself.

To Naruto's horror, the tears sprang up yet again. And right when he had been forcing them back. _Nobody _had made an act so drastic towards him. They were so focused on inflicting physical and mental pain, none even threw themselves upon him, except for Sasuke, but he was more for the mental pain than the physical pain. Naruto was like a deer-in-headlights; he had no idea what to do, and all he could do was stare at Iruka as he felt the dripping of his tears' water as well as the _tap-tap-tap-tap _of the blood that kept falling from Iruka. All Naruto could manage was one, small word as his sky blue eyes widened with horror the only thing filled in them: "... Why?"

"Because... like you... I was an orphan... alone," said Iruka, tears filling his own eyes. Naruto looked up at him, bewildered, tears already streaming down his face. It was hard for Sasuke to even watch this scene anymore; he was itching to do something, but knew better than to interfere now. "I... I don't want you to end up like I had been... it's true, the Kyuubi _did _kill my parents... but... Naruto, you can't let Mizuki get that scroll! Please!"

Naruto stared up at Iruka, not knowing what to do. The blood kept dropping. When the _hell _would it stop!? Who was it that was watching them? And Mizuki... why!? Finally, Naruto couldn't take it anymore. He had to get away. He had to run. He flipped to his stomach, and, pushing his legs onto the ground to make himself get upright once more, Naruto ran. He ran and ran, nonstop, not stopping for a single minute. Blindly, he went through the forest in the direction that he had pushed himself. His feet started to ache, and he remembered when he ran before – running into the forest, running from the villagers. That's all he ever did – he just ran from his problems, and he never stayed there long enough to even solve them. He was a coward, a monster of a coward, or maybe just a plain _monster_. He wasn't set on stopping, either; he kept running and running, as far as his legs could carry him, as far as possible.

"Naruto!" Iruka cried, noticing that Mizuki was still standing there, able to kill him. However, Mizuki had other plans, cursing under his breath as he followed Naruto. Iruka finally had enough of this; it was dragging out too long. He painfully took the star out of his back, and, quickly, he followed Mizuki and Naruto, with a plan on his mind; fool Mizuki.

Sasuke watched them as they left, in a mental conflict whether to follow them. This was Naruto's battle, that he was sure; he shouldn't have interfered or even listened to them in the first place. And yet, he was involved now, and he couldn't just sit by and watch them as Mizuki had his way (A/N: No pervyness please. :3) with Naruto and Iruka, slaughtering them and then getting the greatest reward: that scroll that Naruto had stolen. But then he remembered something. He couldn't just abandon Naruto, the same way that Itachi had abandoned the Uchihas. Sasuke made his hands into fists. Itachi... he hated the name. But Sasuke... he would hate himself if he _ever _abandoned Naruto when he could do something about it. Finally, his mind made up, he dashed, as fast as he could, in the direction that he saw Naruto, Iruka, and Mizuki go, leaving only dust in the wind.

--

_Damn, _thought a hopping shadow over the treetops as a sensei went in hot pursuit. Supposedly, Naruto was jumping tree to tree like a fox would, watching behind him warily as Iruka followed him smartly, and with great precision cornered him somewhere in the treetops, trying to startle the poor demon fox boy into finally giving up and giving him the scroll. He laughed maniacally, knowing his plan was going perfect; well, that is, until the Naruto suddenly butt his head right into Iruka with great ferocity, knocking him into a clearing along with himself, who flew backwards, right next to a tree. Naruto leaned against the tree, glaring at Iruka.

"Iruka" turned turned into Mizuki, staring harshly at Naruto. "How the hell did you know I wasn't Iruka?" he asked. The boy wasn't _that _smart; brave, he would give him that, but not smart at all. He certainly shouldn't become a philosopher.

"Because I'm Iruka." A poof of smoke came from our hero, turned into Iruka, who was lying against the tree, out of breath. "You can't fool someone into believing you're that same person."

Mizuki smirked. "Very clever. But you're only delaying your demises."

"Delaying? I'd say that I'm preventing them."

The sound of rustling bushes and treetops echoed throughout the forest, echoing into the night that had drenched the whole forest. It could even be past midnight for all they knew. The moon was clearly visible if you could get past the trees, surrounded by twinkling stars that huddled around their mother, the moon. The sound of the bushes reached Iruka's and Mizuki's ears, but both of them took them as merely animals moving in the foliage. They had not an idea where the real Naruto was, but they knew for certain that wherever he was, it certainly wasn't near them, and thus, the night would never give away his position.

Well, that's what they thought, anyway.

Naruto jumped out of a bush quite a time ago, listening to the crickets chirp, feeling himself shiver at the cold that the night brought him, and shivering from his own tears. Iruka's blood still covered part of his face; he hadn't bothered to wipe it off. He was lying against a tree, panting, tears now freely flowing down his face. Why was it that _he _had be cursed like this, as a monster? What had the Fourth been thinking when he put that demon inside of his little belly? He put his head into his arm, sobbing gently, but being quiet so as not to disturb the silent night. When he heard the rustle of trees and leaves nearby him, he had been jolted into alert like as if lightning had struck him, and he tried his best to silence his crying even more; though still, some of his gasps and pants were clearly distinguishable from the noise that all of the life of the forest made themselves, as much as elephants they could sound. His ears were tickled unpleasantly by the sound of Mizuki's and Iruka's voices, listening into their conversation. He couldn't take it. The poor little boy was too confused. But his feet ached too much to run anymore.

If anyone said Uchihas were selfish just because they watched an alternate storyline about how two had betrayed their villages, they were dead wrong here in this reality. Sasuke had been lying in a bush for quite a while, expecting that somebody would come here. After all, it was one of the only other major clearings that the forest had; it was mostly closely clustered trees. Plus, he had heard voices spring vibrations into the night sky that had sounded like they were coming in this direction. He had noticed early that Iruka and Mizuki were coming this way, and being the brilliant child he was, he knew neither of them was Naruto. And even if he wasn't brilliant, he knew they weren't, anyway. Because Naruto was already here, and Sasuke already saw him, crying to himself. What a poor child... Sympathy was probably the only thing Sasuke felt now. Everything fit as a puzzle-piece together from the info he had just heard, and so he was no longer confused; only sympathy remained as an emotion in his head.

Naruto was greeted with Sasuke's stare, but Naruto was unaware that he was even there. He was staring forward, even though his full, undivided attention was on the conversation that Iruka and Mizuki were having, his eyes wide with terror, horror, and sadness. Those pools contained nothing else, no sign of light or happiness that they had had earlier in the day, and it only made Sasuke's pity deepen; truly, it was a sad sight to see, someone who ordinarily brightened a room stricken with what could only be described as "the emotions that change perspectives on certain people". Sasuke looked over Naruto, who now looked like a mess, with tears streaming down his eyes, blood, and probably dirtied hands from the cleaning of those very eyes that produced those very tears. _Naruto... _Sasuke thought sadly. His friend had so much distress to his features, the same distress that Sasuke imagined that he had himself when he realized his family was dead, thanks to his own, dear onii. _Gomen nasai, Naruto..._

"Why can't you accept it, Iruka?" Mizuki snorted menacingly, snapping Sasuke back into focus. Naruto was already in focus, as he was well aware of the background with him. Sasuke could've sworn he heard a small whimper from Naruto, causing Sasuke's face to hold even bigger of a sad frown. "Hey, in a sense, Naruto and I, and Kyuubeta, are alike. We'll all go searching for destruction, and we're monsters in our own sense, ne? But I guess Naruto's far worse, 'cause he's got that scroll... The Scroll of Sealing, the same one that the Fourth used... you know what that does, right? Much chaos will come from it... releasing the Kyuubi to wreak its havoc on us once again... think of it for a second, friend."

_I would never do that! _Naruto thought, whimpering once more, listening to their conversation closely. He... he wouldn't let that horrible monster out... he wouldn't do such horrible things. Would he? He looked at his hands. Naruto didn't even seem to trust himself...

"Yeah, he would do that," Iruka agreed simply. Sasuke was shocked, while Naruto burst into more tears. Sasuke looked at Naruto sympathetically, as he had for the millionth time. "If he were Kyuubi, that is." Naruto and Sasuke were bolted right from their thoughts when Iruka spoke again after a pause. "But he's not. He's not a monster. He's one of my most hard-working students that I have ever had. I'm very glad I teach him."

This definitely took Naruto and Sasuke by surprise. Naruto stared at his hands again, swelling with unexpected pride. _He believes in me. More than I believe in myself... why?_

Sasuke looked to Naruto, seeing him not crying anymore, and smiled softly. _Naruto... whatever you are thinking... Iruka's right. _For once, somebody besides Sasuke understood: Naruto is _not _a monster, nor will he ever be. He respected Naruto more than he respected anyone else, ever since Naruto first met him – hardly ever did Sasuke see tears travel down his cheeks, despite the torment that most of the villagers had put him through.

"Aw, how sweet," Mizuki snarled, breaking the silence. Naruto started to growl. "However, you're wrong. Not like it matters; I'll bring you down swiftly and quietly." Mizuki held up a kunai threateningly, ready to stab Iruka with it.

"Don't you _dare _lay a _finger _on him!"

Everyone, especially Iruka nad Sasuke, was surprised by Naruto's growl. Quick as lightning, completely unnoticed, Naruto had ran protectively in front of Iruka, glaring at Mizuki with what could only be described as pure hatred. His anger and killing intent were very palpable, especially for someone that wasn't even a Genin. Sasuke looked at Naruto in amazement. He summoned a lot of courage just to move from the tree.

"If you eve so much as _touch _him, I'll kill you!" Naruto snarled, going into a fighting stance, wiping previous tears off his face. Sasuke smirked. There was no need for him to intervene. But he still stayed watching, as he was too tired to move.

"Oh? And what can a puny little _shrimp _like you do?" Mizuki shot back. Something clicked in Sasuke's head. Naruto was _terrible _at jutsu. He gulped. This could be bad... "I could easily kill a shrimp like you, with my _hands tied behind my back!_"

"_Suuuure _you could," Naruto spat venomously. He then lifted his hands and started to perform quick hand seals. Sasuke watched in confusion. What was he trying to do?

"Try your luck, kid. You'll only get burned." Mizuki grinned.

"Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" This shout instantly brought the astonished, undivided attention of Sasuke, Mizuki, and Iruka alike. A flash of smoke appeared, and, _do their eyes deceive them!? _-- there were over twenty Narutos all around that clearing! Iruka's and Sasuke's jaws dropped, while Mizuki stared in fear, intimidated. "What happened, then?" Naruto asked confidently. Sasuke couldn't blame him for being so courageous, what with a highly respected jutsu under his belt. "I thought you said you could easily kill me! So, come and get me!"

No response came from Mizuki, except for fearful whimpering.

"All right then, my turn!" some Naruto clone said excitedly, and the rest of the Narutos, including the real one, agreed. They all dived in for the kill, showing no mercy on the used-to-be sensei, hands all bloodied. Sasuke didn't watch. He knew Naruto would win. _Naruto... you are amazing..._

Screams and yelps filled the air, blood splattering all over the place. It was safe to assume the blood came from Mizuki. After what seemed to be about an eternity, though it was only about ten minutes, the clone Narutos disappeared. Mizuki limped off, yelping in protest at his multiple wounds. The real Naruto approached Iruka, scratching the back of his head and laughing. "Looks like I got carried away," said Naruto cheerfully.

Iruka smiled softly at the Jinchuuriki. _Naruto... you really are something... mastering a Jounin-level technique in one night, _he was thinking of saying aloud, but decided not to. He thought for a moment, and then said something else, in a chipper manner: "Naruto, I have a surprise for you. Close your eyes."

Sasuke heard about the surprise, but decided not to tell anything of it or even turn around and look. He knew what it was already. Staring at the bright shine of the moon within the dark blanket covering the sky, Sasuke could imagine the happy look on Naruto's face once he found out for himself. _Congratulations, Naruto, _he thought before drifting into a light doze.

"Why... oh, fine," Naruto groaned grumpily, always the one to object to an order, even from a teacher. _What's the point to this? _He, despite this, shut his eyes and waited.

After what seemed like a few hours, though it really didn't take that long, with quite a few "swiping" noises nearby Naruto's head, Iruka's voice came up above the silence that the night had, which was quite foreboding, by the way. "You can open your eyes now."

Naruto could hear Iruka's voice, and it blended in quite smoothly with the sounds of chirping of birds like as if it was morning. Naruto opened his sky blue eyes, and to his likeness the color of his eyes completely matched the sky, as it was starting to light up with new color, the darkness starting to fade and the sun starting to peek up. Had it already been the whole entire night? Wow does time fly by. Naruto yawned and looked around tediously, in wonder of what exactly was going on. What was this surprise? Naruto then looked closely at Iruka. He noticed that old scar on the bridge of his nose, but there was something else he noticed... was Iruka missing his headband? The blue-eyed Jinchuuriki looked up, trying his best to look to his own forehead. Tentatively, the blonde took his right hand and stuck it up in the air, and, quite cautiously, placed it on his forehead. He felt his hand touch a metal lining and some leather. Only then did Naruto realize the surprise. He stared at Iruka, with a slight gape to his mouth's features.

"Congratulations, Naruto," Iruka said warmly. "You are now officially a Konoha shinobi."

Sasuke opened his eyes at these words, looking at the light as it streamed into what previously could've been assumed as a near lifeless forest. The sunlight's beams brought quite a bit of new hope, and Sasuke knew that's just how he would interpret them, Iruka and Naruto both – it was the time of a new beginning, a new dawn on life. Sasuke couldn't help his curiosity and glanced over the bush. He was pleased and greeted with a shocked Naruto face and a grinning Iruka face. _So he graduated. Well done, Naruto._

Naruto was shocked speechless, and for a moment he didn't move. Iruka eyed him in a concerned manner. "Naruto...?" He was interrupted from asking anymore questions as Naruto flung onto him, knocking him back into the tree. "Itai... Naruto! Calm down, that hurt!" Iruka certainly was pleased that Naruto was happy.

Naruto screeched happily. "_Oh thank you thank you, THANK YOU Iruka-sensei!_" he shouted, hugging Iruka excitedly and rubbing his head against Iruka's chest. "I did it! I finally did it! Ya-hoo! This is the _best day of my life_! I'm finally a Genin! _Yesssssss! _Yay! Yaaaay!"

Iruka chuckled, smiling warmly, his eyes closing upward in a sign of mutual happiness. _Just know, Naruto... it'll get a lot tougher from here, _he was about to say, but he didn't want to interrupt Naruto's excitement.

_Naruto-niisan, _thought Sasuke, staring at him with warm, black eyes, smiling truly for the first time since Naruto and Sasuke first met. _I'm sure this is just the start of many challenges we'll have, Naruto-niisan. But whatever they are, we'll face them together! _


End file.
